Cringle assembly

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a cringle assembly for mounting in a sail in which the assembly includes a sleeve and a pair of rings which clamp the rings together around a hole in the sail and the invention provides a means for securely clamping the rings by the sleeve without the likelihood of the rings working loose under the strain applied by the sail securing rope attached to the assembly.

[22] Filed:

Unid States Met [1 Salmon CRINGLE ASSEMBLY [75] Inventor: Paul Mervyn Salmon, Marrickville,

New South Wales, Australia [73] Assignee: William Adams & Company Limited (Manufacturing Division), Marrickville, New South Wales, Australia Sept. 1, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 285,618

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Sept. 2, 1971 Australia 6148/71 [52] US. Cl 114/114, 24/141,114/115 [51] Int. Cl B6311 9/08 [58] Field of Search....... 114/114, 115; 24/141, 202

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,583,719 1/1952 White 24/141 May 28, 1974 3,653,353 4/1972 Davis 114/1 15 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 7,217 5/1888 Great Britain 114/115 Primary ExaminerTrygve M. Blix Assistant Examiner-Stuart M. Goldstein Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Emory L. Groff; Emory L. Groff, Jr.

[5 7] ABSTRACT The invention relates to a cringle assembly for mounting in a sail in which the assembly includes a sleeve and a pair of rings which clamp the rings together around a hole in the sail and the invention provides a means for securely clamping the rings by the sleeve without the likelihood of the rings working loose under the strain applied by the sail securing rope attached to the assembly.

2 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures PATENTEI] MAY 2 8 I974 Env- 1 CRINGLE ASSEMBLY This invention has been devised to provide a cringle assembly from which an eyelet type cringle fitting can be formed and mounted in a sail to enable sail securing ropes to be attached to the sail.

It is known to form a cringle from a cylindrical stainless steel sleeve having uniform wall thickness and a pair of stainless steel rings which fit over the sleeve and engage the sail around an eyelet hole formed through the sail. One annular face of each ring is provided with projecting pins and circular grooves.

After assembly the sleeve is rolled outwardly at each end thereof over the rings to clamp the sail between the rings. Pressure applied upon the rings by the sleeve ends forces the pins through the thickness of sail around the hole in the sail and into the grooves of the opposite ring. The pins tend to bend on their free ends into the grooves and thus the sail thickness are secured between the rings.

This known form of cringle has certain disadvantages. Firstly, the rings being made of stainless steel and having the mentioned grooves formed therein, are costly to produce. Secondly, the length dimension of the sleeve is such that the step of rolling the ends of the sleeve outwardly onto the rings brings the rolled ends of the sleeve only approximately half way cross the width of the rings. The pressure applied to the rings by the ends of the sleeve is therefore approximately at the transverse centre of the rings. That is, only part of the outer surface of each of the rings is engaged by a sleeve end and in use, the rings work loose.

According to the invention, the cringle assembly comprises a tubular metal sleeve and a pair of metal rings mounted on the sleeve, said sleeve being projected through a hole in a sail in engagement with the sail around the hole, the rings being located on the sleeve on opposite sides of the sail, said rings each having pins projecting from one face thereof located adjacent the sail and said sleeve being rolled outwardly at each end thereof over the rings to engage the rings, and to force the pins through the sail around the hole and secure the sail between the rings and the rings within the sleeve; characterised in that the sleeve is symmetrical and has a cylindrical outer wall and a circular crosssection bore comprised of a central parallel portion disposed between two tapered portions which increase in diameter as they extend from the central portion to the respective sleeve ends, said sleeve being dimensioned in length to substantially cover the rings when bent thereover after assembly upon a sail, and further characterised in that the rings are a frictional fit on the outer wall of the sleeve.

The invention will now be described with reference to the annexed drawings, wherein:

FIG. I is a sectional elevation of one embodiment of the invention drawn longitudinally centrally through the sleeve and transversely centrally through the sail clamping rings and a pair of resilient rings, showing an assembly of thicknesses of sail and the rings, upon the sleeve.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional perspective view of the components of FIG. 1., with the sleeve clamped over the rings to form a finished cringle.

FIG. 3 is a similar view of FIG. 1 of a second embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the components of FIG. 3 also with the sleeve clamped over the rings.

In both the illustrated embodiments, the sleeve 1 is symmetrical and has a cylindrical outer wall 2 and a bore of circular cross-section comprised of a parallel central wall portion 5 disposed between two tapered portions 4 which increase in diameter as they extend to the sleeve ends 3. The ends 3 are rounded to remove sharp corners. The sleeve 1 is preferably formed from stainless steel and it is dimensioned in length to substantially entirely cover the rings when clamped thereover, after mounting of the cringle assembly of a sail.

The rings 6 in both embodiments are preferably formed from aluminum bronze and they each have a fiat face 7 with pins 8 projecting outwardly therefrom, and an arcuate face 9 rounded at 10 to blend with the face 7 at the outer edge thereof. The pins 8 are so formed and spaced around the face 7, that when a pair of rings are to be clamped over sail thickness indicated at 11, the outer edges 10 remain in alignment and the pins 8 do not foul each other.

The rings 6 are dimensioned in the bore thereof as a light frictional fit on the outside 2 of the sleeve 1. For this purpose, it is preferred to form a thin flange 12 on each said ring 6 at the inner edge projecting into the bore thereof, for reasons to be explained. Also, in the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, each ring 6 has a recess 13 formed concentrically in the arcuate face 9 thereof, extending from approximately the centre of said face 9 inwardly to the bore. The recess 13 and the wall 2 of sleeve 1 form a groove for a resilient ring 14, such as a Neoprene O"-ring which frictionally engages the wall 2 of the sleeve 1.

The components described are assembled to form a finished cringle in the following manner.

The sail cloth 11 has a hole indicated at 15 formed therethrough around which a cringle is to be fixed to the sailcloth. The sleeve 1 is placed in the hole 15 so as to project a like amount beyond both sides of the sail. A pair of rings 6 are mounted upon sleeve 1 with the pins 8 of rings 6 facing towards each other. In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1 and2, the O-rings l4 assist, with the flanges 12 in locating the rings 6 in con-ncentric and correct longitudinal position upon sleeve 1.

The assembly is then placed in a power press having suitable dies incorporated which are adapted to engage the ends 3 of the sleeve 1. Upon operation of the press, the dies curl the tapered parts'4 of the sleeve over the rings 6, moving them toward each other and forcing the pins 8 through the sailcloth 11. The dies continue to exert pressure upon the sleeve until the tapered parts 4 are rolled fully over the arcuate surfaces 9 and the rings 6 are substantially covered by said sleeve, see FIGS. 2 and 4. The rings thus firmly clamp the sailcloth between them and form with the sleeve 1 a finished cringle which is evenly and accurately secured to the sailcloth 11 around the hole 15. It is foreshadowed that pressure in the order of 40 tons per square inch will be applied during the pressing operation to ensure that the desired clamping effect is achieved in the finished cringle.

In the embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2, the provision of the O-rings 14 permits accurate manual mounting of the rings 6 and hence the sail cloth 11 centrally upon,

the sleeve 1. The O-rings 14, by their frictional engage ment with the sleeve 1, act in conjunction with the flanges 12 to prevent the sleeve 1 from sliding in the hole 15. In this embodiment, as the sleeve is rolled in the press, the O-rings are compressed and entirely fill the recesses 13 in the rings 6.

The embodiment of FIG. 3 and 4 is particularly suitable for use where press tools are available which are adapted to correctly position the sleeve, the rings and sailcloth prior to effecting the sleeve curling operation. In both embodiments, the flanges 12, which are very thin in section, are bent and flattened during the sleeve rolling operation, by engagement with the central por tion 5 of the sleeve and hence do not in any way weaken the overall clamping efiect achieved in the tinished cringle.

I claim:

I. A cringle set for assembly on a sail, the set comprising a tubular metal sleeve including a cylindrical outer wall and a circular cross-sectional bore in the sleeve, a central parallel portion in the bore, two tapered portions of the bore increasing in diameter as they extend from the central portion to the respective sleeve ends, a pair of annular metal rings dimensioned to encircle the sleeve, pins projecting away from one annular face on each ring, a concentric enlargement of the bore of each ring in an annular face opposite the face of the ring having the pins, a pair of resilient 0- rings one for each annular ring, each O-ring being dimensioned internally so as to be -a friction fit with sail and the sleeve is bent over said metal rings, substantially all of the annular faces having the enlargefments and the O-rings therein are covered by the curled over ends of the sleeve.

I 2. A cringle fitted sail comprising a cringle sleeve, a 'sail having a hole therein closely encircling the exterior of the sleeve, two annular rings closely encircling the sleeve and spaced apart by the sail, pins on the rings extending toward each other and penetrating into the sail,, an enlargement of the bore of each ring in the face of? each ring opposite that having the pins, two resilient O- frings each having a cross-sectional area at least as llarge as the cross-sectional area of the enlarge- ,ment in a ring and located one in each enlargement, curled over the end portions of the sleeve being curled lover and covering the O-rings and substantially iall of the rings to compress each of the O-rings linto the cross-section of its associated enlargement and into tight frictional engagement with the sleeve exterior, said curled over end portions each having a wall thickness which increases from the ends of the sleeve to a central portion of the sleeve EBEQLEJYEQQEQE gleeyq tcf wu tq m thickness, 

1. A cringle set for assembly on a sail, the set comprising a tubular metal sleeve including a cylindrical outer wall and a circular cross-sectional bore in the sleeve, a central parallel portion in the bore, two tapered portions of the bore increasing in diameter as they extend from the central portion to the respective sleeve ends, a pair of annular metal rings dimensioned to encircle the sleeve, pins projecting away from one annular face on each ring, a concentric enlargement of the bore of each ring in an annular face opposite the face of the ring having the pins, a pair of resilient O-rings one for each annular ring, each O-ring being dimensioned so as to externally engage the bore enlargement in a ring and dimensioned internally so as to be a friction fit with the sleeve exterior, said sleeve being dimensioned in length so that when the set is assembled on a sail and the sleeve is bent over said metal rings, substantially all of the annular faces having the enlargements and the O-rings therein are covered by the curled over ends of the sleeve.
 2. A cringle fitted sail comprising a cringle sleeve, a sail having a hole therein closely encircling the exterior of the sleeve, two annular rings closely encircling the sleeve and spaced apart by the sail, pins on the rings extending toward each other and penetrating into the sail, an enlargement of the bore of each ring in the face of each ring opposite that having the pins, two resilient O-rings each having a cross-sectional area larger than cross-sectional area of the enlargement in a ring and located one in each enlargement, curled over the end portions of the sleeve being curled over and covering the O-rings and substantially all of the rings to compress each of the O-rings into the cross-section of its associated enlargement and into tight frictional engagement with the sleeve exterior, said curled over end portions each having a wall thickness which increases from the ends of the sleeve to a central portion of the sleeve where the wall of the sleeve is of uniform thickness. 